Silicon Valley’s climate just right for start of ‘Solar Decade’

Looking back to 2000, the beginning of the last decade, our company was in the midst of changing its business plan. We decided to go for it: take the world-leading solar technology used for specialty applications and make it mainstream and affordable for homes and businesses.

As we conclude 2010 and celebrate our 25th anniversary as a company, I reflect back on the first year of what is the Solar Decade. We are moving into a new, bigger headquarters in San Jose for the second time in the last five years. We’ve added a major office and assembly facility in Richmond and have brought manufacturing back to Silicon Valley with our partner Flextronics in Milpitas.

There’s no place on earth like Silicon Valley, where innovation thrives in the midst of a community that takes action, believes small companies can drive major change, and values the beauty and benefits of the natural environment. We are fortunate to be building a global solar business built of the most

efficient, reliable solar technology on the planet. Silicon Valley is not only the crucible for cleantech industries; it is the home of people who lead the world to adopt new technologies in their residences and businesses.

California’s solar program has been extremely successful, with adoption twice as fast as planned. Look around and you’ll already see solar panels on your neighbor’s roof. Drive by Brocade Communications Systems Inc. or Applied Materials Inc. and you will see solar parking lots. Utilities such as Pacific Gas and Electric Corp. have literally bought into solar, deciding that owning solar power plants distributed through their grid is a wise investment and a complement to their power generation portfolio.

At SunPower, we’ve achieved our plan to lower solar costs to the point where we can sell systems affordably after the completion of the state solar program. Costs have dropped by about half in the past five years while power prices have increased, sharply at times. Today, homeowners can finance their solar systems like they can a car and save money every month on their electric bill. Businesses can buy solar power through a power purchase agreement, with no capital cost. Schools and other public agencies are saving money and protecting teachers’ jobs by reducing electricity expenses for decades into the future.

The combination of Silicon Valley’s business climate and California’s renewable policies has created jobs and new businesses while truly changing the way power is made locally and around the world. We see 2010 as the first year of the solar decade and thank the SunPower team, our customers,

investors and policymakers for supporting our growth to the third largest global solar company.

We invite you to explore the benefits of solar for your home or business. This alternative power approach provides clean energy, while tackling the growing global power need. It is also a solution to rising energy prices and tackling climate change.